Get All Access for $5/mo

Hackers Claim Responsibility for Attack on Pokemon Go Servers Hacking team OurMine claims responsibility for knocking the game's servers offline over the weekend.

By Stephanie Mlot

This story originally appeared on PCMag

Bloomberg | Getty Images

As Niantic rolled out Pokemon Go to 26 additional countries over the weekend, it's easy to assume the rush of new players was to blame for recent server issues.

But hacking collective OurMine may have also played a part. The group -- famous for infiltrating the social media accounts of Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Jack Dorsey, among others -- claimed responsibility for the popular game going offline on Sunday.

As an OurMine member told PCMag via email, the three-person team is "just trying to protect [companies'] servers."

"We wrote we will stop the attack if any [Niantic] staff talked with us, because we will teach them how to protect their servers," the anonymous representative said.

According to OurMine, if it doesn't break into celebrity accounts and knock games offline, someone else will.

Someone like PoodleCorp, which also attacked Pokemon Go servers this weekend via a massive Distributed Denial of Service attack. The group's Twitter account hints at another invasion planned for Aug. 1.

The weekend's issues, according to the gamemaker, were fixed on Sunday; trainers can continue neglecting their daily lives to hunt for Pokemon.

Pokemon Go launched first in the US, Australia and New Zealand, before slowly making its way around the globe, launching in Germany, the UK and a handful of other countries. The mobile game's universal appeal has everyone from young students to politicians trying to catch 'em all. But some folks, including Sen. Al Franken, remain skeptical about security.

T-Mobile subscribers, meanwhile, now have one less thing to worry about. The carrier now offers unlimited data while using the popular app through August 2017.

Stephanie Mlot

Reporter at PCMag

Stephanie began as a PCMag reporter in May 2012. She moved to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in journalism and mass communications.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

He Started a Business That Surpassed $100 Million in Under 3 Years: 'Consistent Revenue Right Out of the Gate'

Ryan Close, founder and CEO of Bartesian, had run a few small businesses on the side — but none of them excited him as much as the idea for a home cocktail machine.

Franchise

The Top 10 Coffee Franchises in 2024

From a classic cup of joe to a creamy latte, grab your favorite mug and get ready to brew up success with the best coffee franchises.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'Do You Sell Cars?': Tesla CEO Elon Musk Trolls Jaguar Rebrand on X

The team running Jaguar's X account was working hard on social media this week.

Business News

'Jaw-Dropping Performance in 2024,' Says a Senior Analyst as Nvidia Reports Earnings

Nvidia reported its highly-anticipated third-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

Marketing

How Small Businesses Can Leverage Dark Social to Drive Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Dark social accounts for 70% of social media shares and is crucial for small businesses. Here's how you can tap into this hidden marketing opportunity.